


Stranger Danger

by Mooselk



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assault, Ayura/Tetora (mentioned), Drugs, F/F, Gen, Nadai, Rescue, Yona (mentioned), improper use of an umbrella, lili's huge crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 07:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10986162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mooselk/pseuds/Mooselk
Summary: “It is 10:30 P.M on a Thursday night and An Lili is under attack by druggies in a back alley for the second time in two months.”A look at a meeting in Sensui in the modern world





	Stranger Danger

It is 10:30 P.M on a Thursday night and An Lili is under attack by druggies in a back alley for the second time in two months. It’s like she has a note on her back that says “Easy Pickings”. Sure, her inquisitive nature, or what Tetora calls “incessant prying and mule-like stubbornness”, aren’t really doing her any favors here. But what’s a girl to do? There is something fishy (pun not intended) going on in the Water district of the city of Kouka and Lili feels a personal obligation to find out what it is.

And that’s why Lili is currently being cornered by three extremely high frat boys behind a bakery. A bakery! At least last time it was in a shady bar. Then again, last time Lili had come out of the ordeal with her faith in humanity restored, a sense of purpose to her life, and a girlfriend. But no knight in silver high heels was coming to save her this time. Yona is in another district doing volunteer work for the next week at least. And Ayura and Tetora, who usually would never let her even leave the apartment alone, have taken tonight to go on a date. Tetora had asked her, half jokingly, to please behave tonight. Lili sends her a profuse mental apology. If she gets out of this she will always listen to Tetora from now on.

For now though, Lili clutches the purse with the ID she filched from her father as the guys get closer and closer. She is so unbelievably screwed. There is nowhere to run – they’ve blocked the only exit – and this part of town is so used to street harassment that no one is going to think twice about someone screaming in a back alley. A hand grasps her wrist and she twists away, beginning to yell anyway. She bumps into another goon and slips on the rain-slick cobblestones. Someone moves to rip the purse from her grasp and another hand grabs her shoulder. _No, no, no –!_

With a whoosh, an unfoldable metal umbrella makes impact with the forehead of the man holding her. He reels back from the blow, landing with a splash in a puddle. One of his friends charges forward with an enraged shout and is felled by what looks like a school backpack being swung directly into his midsection. The third has become mesmerized with some water flowing out of a drain pipe on the bakery corner.

“Come on,” Lili hears before her arm is grabbed and she is pulled along, around the corner and into the bakery. Only when they both plop into opposite seats at a small, grimy table does Lili get a good look at her would-be rescuer.

Her first thought is, “Oh my gods, I have been rescued by a librarian.” It’s a guy about her age, with thick glasses perched on his nose. His long blonde hair is pulled into a haphazard ponytail and he is wearing a diamond-patterned vest. She half expects the word “jinkies” to come out of his mouth.

The man at the counter of the bakery frowns at them and makes his way over. He is large and muscular and has a scar over one eyebrow.

“Oi kids, you’re dripping on my floors. I’m about to close up, so order or get out.”

Lili shrinks back but her saviour hums thoughtfully.

“Do you have any of your mystery meat buns left?” His voice is a gentle as his appearance would suggest. Lili is about to question him about why he would order such a dubiously named product, but is interrupted by the bakery owner, who suddenly throws his head back and laughs.

“Oh, it’s you! I remember you now. You’re Ogi’s Won kid, aren’t you. Wow, you’ve really grown. You were such a scrawny kid; who’d have thought you’d be such a bean pole!” He tousles the man’s hair as if he were a schoolboy. “You and your lady friend can stay as long as you want.”

The guy flushes red, shooting a quick, embarassed look at her. “No, no, we’re just getting out of the rain briefly. We’ll be gone soon, but thank you.”

This man just fought off three – well, more like two and a half – drugged up guys with nothing but a backpack and an umbrella. Now he’s smiling at her with the sheepish air of a harassed kindergarten teacher. Lili can’t quite reconcile the two images in her mind.

“Miss Lili, are you alright? They did not hurt you at all, did they?” He asks, addressing her directly for the first time.

“No, I’m fine, thank you,” Lili replies on impulse before her words catch up to her. “Wait, how do you know my name?! “ She’s pretty sure she’s never met this “Won” guy before. A stalker? She’s not that famous, is she? Her hand scrabbles for the nearest available object, a saltshaker, in this case, ready to throw it at him and run.

“I sat two seats behind you in Forensics last semester,” he replies, watching her with the same gentle smile.

“Oh,” says Lili and puts the saltshaker down to Won’s clear amusement. Now that he mentions it, his voice is kind of familiar. No wonder she forgot him. No one that sits behind you in a classroom exists, after all. Her face heats a little – this guy, a stalker? – and she clear her throat. “Well, uh, thanks for saving me.”

“It was no problem, I assure you.”

They sit quietly for a moment and then Lili looks at her watch and gasps. She has never used public transport before today and she would like to find her bus without any more time to lose. She still has homework to do before tomorrow!

“I need to start finding my way back now,” she says, making to stand. “Thank you again.”

Won raises a hand to stop her.

“Where do you live? It’s getting pretty late. I would like to escort you home if you wouldn’t mind; I think you’ve had enough adventures for one night.”

“Oh no, I’ll be fine. It’s just a shuttle ride back,” she deflects. She still can’t say she trusts him. He may have saved her from drug addicts but every single don’t-talk-to-strangers story cautions against giving your address to unknown men.

He frowns a little. “Hmm, you know that the shuttle buses don’t run to this part of town after 11, right?”

Lili glances at her watch again, which smugly displays 10:57, and back into is quietly smiling face.

“So, about that escort then,” he says. She glares at him before sitting back down and crossing her arms.

“How exactly were _you_ planning on getting back if not the shuttle? Don’t tell me you want to walk with me all the way back to the Sensui complex.” Oh damn, that slipped out.

Won never stops smiling, she notes. It’s getting kind of annoying. “Oh, someone is coming to pick me up from here. I live pretty far away too, you see.” Lili grunts noncommittally, still a little suspicious. But his face is so… tofu-like. No kidnapper would look so soft and squishy, would they?

At some unheard sound, Won perks up, peering out the window into the rain-drenched darkness. Two headlights are barely visible through the dirty glass.

“I think that’s him now!” He says, unfolding himself from the chair. He really is very tall, Lili realizes as she follows suit. Even standing her head barely brushes chin. But any intimidation Won could have gotten out of his height is completely negated by the childlike manner he has. Right at that moment, he is waving goodbye to the bakery owner with the dopiest smile ever.

The car doesn’t look much like a kidnapper’s van either. It’s actually kind of fancy, though it doesn’t match Won at all. It’s dark and sleek; clearly a well cared for vehicle. Won pulls open one of the back doors, holding a hand out to her, shielding his face from rain with the other. Lili hesitates. This could go so very badly. She’s going to end up on tomorrow’s missing person list and then what will her father think? What will Yona think?

Yon would go and literally tear apart the town until Lili is found if that happened, actually. That thought gives Lili the courage to accept the proggered hand and climb into the back seat.

“Huh? Who–?” Comes a startled protest from the driver. Won slides into the shotgun seat, and the driver gives a long, put upon sigh. “Won….”

“Don’t fuss. She’s a friend from my Forensics class. She missed the last shuttle and needs to get back to Suiko. I told her we’d give her a ride.”

“Hmph. I’m not a taxi service,” grouses the other man, but it’s clearly juat for show. “Whatever. I don’t want any kidnappings on top of this drug problem. Last thing we need, honestly.”

Even in the dark, Lili can hear that perpetual smile in Won’s voice as he cranes his neck to face her. “Joodoh’s part of the Kouka police force. Even if he’s off duty right now, he’s the safest person to be around.” He sounds very admiring, but Joodoh just harrumphs and moves the car into gear.

They drive in vaguely awkward silence for a while. The fright of being attacked again is catching up to Lili, and she feels her legs shaking a little. To distract herself, she thinks back to the last rescue she’s experienced. This one wasn’t nearly as dramatic, but very little can live up to a beautiful red-headed dancer in five inch silver heels and a bejeweled costume kicking a man in the head. But this guy managed to incapacitate two men with a collapsible umbrella and a backpack, of all things.

“What was even in that backpack?” She muses.

“Huh?” comes Won’s voice from the front seat, puzzled. Oh. She’d said it out loud. Oh well.

“I asked what was in the backpack. That guy went down like a stone when you hit him with it; must have been really heavy.”

The car screeches to a halt at the side of the road, to a chorus of honking from surprised drivers.

“What guy?” asks the driver, his tone menacing.

“Um… no one important…” Won stammers nervously. She hears him shift in his seat.

“S– Won. What. Guy.” Won is now noticeably leaning away from Joodoh, clearly uncomfortable. Warning bells go off in Lili’s head. She breaks in from the backseat.

“He saved me from some thugs behind the bakery. I think they were high or something…”

By the light of oncoming traffic, Lili sees Joodoh’s face contort into a thunderous expression. Oops.

“Some thugs? Some thugs?! Won! Why must you always get yourself into these situations?!”

“J-joodoh…” Says won, arms raised pleadingly. But the driver’s rant is going full force now. From it’s ferocity, Lili guesses this is an old argument.

“Call the cops or wait for me or something! You can’t just do these things yourself! What if you got hurt?! You aren’t –“

“Joodoh.” Lili shrinks back. She would not have thought gentle Won capable of producing such an icy, commanding tone. “We need to get Miss Lili home.”

Lili wonders if she imagined it. He sounded completely normal that time. Whatever just happened though, it cut right through Joodoh’s rant. Without another word they pull back onto the road. Lili can sense waves of frustrated anger coming off the driver. But his driving is smooth and unaffected by his mood. He’s clearly a professional.

A few minutes later, Won speaks up again. “Miss Lili, I was wondering…” He trails off, as if asking permission. She grunts questioningly, too tired now to even try for politeness.

“What exactly were you looking for in Sensui?”

“Eh? L-looking for something? What makes you think that?”

“Well, that stutter, for one. But also, someone of your standing is rarely found in the slums of Sensui late at night unless they’re looking for something. There are some goods there that are easy to acquire, after all.”

Lili scowls at him across the car. She knows what he’s implying and does not appreciate it. Fine. She’ll play his game. It’s not like she has anything to hide.

“Nadai, you mean? I was looking for it, yeah. It’s a huge problem in this area an I wasn’t to know who’s distributing it so I can work on stamping them out.” _So there_ , she almost adds, but bites the childish comment down at the last moment.

Won hums appreciatively. “All on your own? How admirable. As expected from An Joongi’s daughter – no, wait, I apologize; your father is pretty famous. I promise I’m not stalking you.”

Lili grudgingly releases the door handle. She doesn’t know what she was planning on doing, jumping out of a moving vehicle in the rain? This guy keeps catching her off guard.

Won is still talking. “I really do admire you. You are absolutely right: the Nadai trade is ruinous for the Water district and for all of Kouka. It seemed that no one in power was doing anything about it, though. Until you, that is, and you’re doing it all alone. That is inspiring. Please, if you ever need my assistance with anything, do not hesitate to call me. I want to help you in this, if I can.”

Lili’s cheeks flush under the sudden praise. Inspiring..? She’s not… _Yona_ is the one who is inspiring, and Lili can only dream of being like her. It’s Yona’s fault that Lili ever gathered the courage to descend from her gilded penthouse world and investigate this on her own. But this stranger thinks she’s inspiring….

Won holds out a colorful piece of paper to her. It’s a post-it-note with his phone number. She slips it into her pocket automatically. What a _librarian_. Who else would carry around bright pink post-it-notes on their person?

“We’re here,” says Joodoh. And they are. Won opens the door for her and she blinks at the bright lights of Suiko’s main complex.

“It was a pleasure to meet you! Please consider what I asked you,” Won chirps as she clambers awkwardly out of the car.

“Yeah. Uh. You too. And thanks again…” Lili manages before Won gives her one last wave and disappears back into the car.

* * *

 

The little apartment she’s staying in –she moved out of her father’s home last month, citing “real world experience” and avoiding the word “girlfriend” – is dark when Lili unlocks the door. She thanks the gods that Ayura and Tetora have not yet returned. She would never have heard the end of it if they had found out about today’s adventures.

Lili takes the pink post-it-note out of her pocket and looks at it. Now that she’s been completely convinced that he’s not a kidnapper, she might as well take advantage of his offered aid. She sticks the note on her desk and types the number on it into her phone. She puts “Won” as the contact name, and then, after a moment of thought, sets the profile image to a piece of tofu.

She flops backwards onto her bed with a sigh. Are all of her interesting contacts going to come from needing to be saved from her own carelessness? Lili does not want that to be her track record. _I’ll need to be stronger_ , she thinks in the last moments before drifting off to sleep, _and learn to kick things in heels while wearing a backpack. Then I'll be the coolest._

**Author's Note:**

> Despite her best efforts, Lili did not end up dead in a ditch or kidnapped! Yay! I honestly love this girl so much. She's so fun to write. 
> 
> ( also see, I can write things with basically no angst in them :D )
> 
> I'm greymantleish on tumblr. Talk to me!


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